The University is legally required to verify certain personal details for students.
- A new/first year student is someone who has never previously enrolled at Otago
- A returning student is someone who was enrolled at Otago in one or both of the previous two years.
- A recommencing student is someone who has been enrolled at Otago but not in the preceding two years. A recommencing student may be required to provide the same evidence as for a first year student.
Note: Any documents supplied must be in English or be accompanied by an appropriately certified English translation.
Name (including change of name), date of birth and citizenship or residency
First year / new student to Otago
Matching your details against the NSI
After you have submitted your application we will attempt to match your name, date of birth and citizenship or residency against the National Student Index (NSI) using your National Student Number (NSN).
If you do not have an NSN, or we are unable to match your details, or we are able to match your details on NSI but your personal details have not been verified, you may be asked to provide certified documents to verify your name, date of birth, and citizenship or residency status.
Evidence of legal name, date of birth and citizenship
If you are a New Zealand or Australian citizen
If you are a New Zealand or Australian citizen, and have never changed your name, a certified copy of one of the following will normally provide all the information required:
- The page of your passport showing your name and other details
- Your citizenship certificate
- Your birth certificate (only if born in New Zealand).
Documents can be provided by uploading to the alert that was sent to you through your eVision portal. Alternatively, you can bring the original documents to the AskOtago Central Hub in the Information Services Building, or to one of our campuses, where Identity verification will be completed for you.
If you hold a New Zealand residence class visa or are an Australian permanent resident
If you hold a New Zealand residence class visa or are an Australian permanent resident, and have never changed your name, we will require:
- A certified copy of the front page of your passport showing your name and other details,
and either - A certified copy of your residence visa label or, appropriate documentation confirming you have been granted an electronic visa (eVisa) (New Zealand residents only), or
- A confirmation email sent directly from the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service that you have been granted an electronic visa (eVisa) (Australian permanent residents only).
If you have refugee status, you must provide the original or a certified copy of the letter from the Immigration Service giving you entitlement to reside in New Zealand or Australia.
Documents can be provided by uploading to the alert that was sent to you through your eVision portal. Alternatively, you can bring the original documents to the AskOtago Central Hub in the Information Services Building, or to one of our campuses, where Identity verification will be completed for you.
International student?
See the Submitting identification documents page on the International Office website for additional information.
Note: If you do not hold the status of a domestic student you must have a student visa to enrol in a course that lasts for longer than three months taken in a New Zealand government-funded institution. If you are in the country on the basis of a work visa you must apply for a variation to your visa to permit you to enrol. You will be required to provide a copy of your student visa. For further information contact the International Office.If you have changed your name
If the name on the NSI, your birth certificate, passport or citizenship certificate differs from your current name, or the name in which you gained any qualifications relevant to your admission, you must also provide a certified copy of documentation as formal evidence of each change. See documentation requirements below.
Documentation required to change your name, citizenship or residency details
If you have changed your name
Provide a certified copy of one or more of the following:
- Marriage or civil union certificate
- Certificate of dissolution of marriage or civil union
- Deed poll
- Statutory declaration issued by Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
- Amended birth certificate
(i) Any document containing a change of name must include both your previous name and the new name.
(ii) if the University has not verified your previous name you may need to provide evidence of this also (e.g. birth certificate/passport in your previous name).
You can request a change to your details via the Personal details section of your eVision portal. Documents can be provided by uploading to the alert that was sent to you through your eVision portal. Alternatively, you can bring the original documents to the AskOtago Central Hub in the Information Services Building, or to one of our campuses, where Identity verification will be completed for you.
If you have changed your citizenship or residency details
Provide a certified copy of one or more of the following:
New Zealand or Australian citizen
- The page of your passport that shows your name and other details, or
- Your citizenship certificate
New Zealand residence visa holder or Australian permanent resident
- The page of your passport that shows your name and other details
and either - Your residence visa label, or appropriate documentation confirming you have been granted an electronic visa/eVisa (New Zealand residents only), or
- A confirmation email sent directly from the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service to university@otago.ac.nz that you have been granted an electronic visa/eVisa (Australian permanent residents only)
If you have refugee status, you must provide the original or a certified copy of the letter from the Immigration Service entitling you to reside in New Zealand or Australia.
You can request a change to your details via the Personal details section of your eVision portal. Documents can be provided by uploading to the alert that was sent to you through your eVision portal. Alternatively, you can bring the original documents to the AskOtago Central Hub in the Information Services Building, or to one of our campuses, where Identity verification will be completed for you.
Previous tertiary/higher education study
Evidence of previous tertiary / higher education study
To support your application, you may be required to provide official evidence of previous academic study undertaken at a tertiary or higher education institution.
Any additional documentation required for your application will be requested through your eVision portal once your application has been submitted.
Official academic record
Your full and official academic transcript, showing enrolment information and examination results for each unit of study, paper or course. This normally includes:
- Full name, student identification number, and date of birth
- Qualification/s completed, including date completed/conferred
- Qualification/s in progress
- Course of study for each year, including:
- Dates of study
- Papers taken, with the corresponding academic points, final percentage mark and/or grade awarded for each
- A key to the grading scale at that institution (often on the back page of the transcript)
- Official seal of the institution and/or signature of the registrar or other institution official
In some institutions which do not provide transcripts this official document may be referred to as the academic record or marksheet.
If you have registered with My eQuals, you can download your transcript from My eQuals and upload this with your application. Please do not send us share links from My eQuals.
If you are waiting for your final results for the current enrolment period, you can submit your application and upload your official transcript once final results become available. In some cases we may ask you to provide interim results. We will let you know if this is the case.
If your documents were not issued in English, you must provide an official English translation along with the original document.
Qualification certificate
The degree, diploma, testamur or certificate issued by the awarding institution after successful completion of the requirements of the programme. This is the formal document confirming that you have been awarded the qualification. It may have been presented to you at a graduation ceremony.
If your documents were not issued in English, you must provide an official English translation along with the original document.
Previous New Zealand tertiary study
If you have enrolled at another New Zealand tertiary / higher education institution (either this current year, in a previous year, or since you were last enrolled at Otago), you may need to provide an official transcript in order to be assessed for admission to the University of Otago.
If you have previously studied at another New Zealand university, your method of entrance will normally carry over to Otago.
It is your responsibility to provide your transcript as the University of Otago is not able to request records from other institutions on behalf of students and cannot match this information on the NSI.
Note: The University defines transferring students as 'a student who has previously attended another university in New Zealand but not the University of Otago'. There are separate admission requirements if you have been enrolled at an overseas university or a non-university tertiary institution in New Zealand.International student?
International students may be required to provide some additional documents.
Further information
Guide to enrolment
Helping you through the enrolment process
Enrolling at Otago
Otago Life
See the Otago Life website for ways to make the most out of your time at the University.